Kenya National Rally Championship Premier Class driver Karan Patel has vowed to go flat out at this weekend’s Equator Rally.
“We are looking forward to participating in the ARC event in Naivasha. I am going to attack from the word go. With Boldy (Baldev Chager), Onkar (Rai) and Flash (Carl Tundo) in the mix, there is honestly no room to hang around and wait for someone to slip up and then try to catch up,” said Karan, who will team up with Tauseef Khan in a Ford Fiesta R5.
"Although it’s a two-day event, there is a bit of time to play catch up if things go sour. But for me, the idea is to push from the word go and get some stage wins if not the overall victory."
Karan reckons that the influx of R5 machines “is a very good sign for Africa as a whole.”
Equator Rally, an FIA ARC event, will feature a total of seven R5 supercars with Rai siblings Onkar and Tejveer in their traditional VW Polo R5s.
“It’s a good sign for the African Rally Championship and the continent as a whole. I understand Tundo has been given a Minti VW Polo R5 due to their main driver not being able to make it for the event,” said Karan.
"It’s always good to have a level playing field and the fact that these R5s are coming more and more into the country makes them less unique and that makes their price come down. With God on my side and a bit of luck, I think anything is possible."
He is also excited about Safari Rally’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) after a 19-year hiatus.
Equator Rally will act as a dry run for the WRC Safari Rally set for June 24-27.
“The fact that Kenya gets the WRC back is exciting to me because it’s going to benefit the country,” said Karan.